Flavour Report with Derek Goforth: Discovering a ‘hidden gem’ in Munchies on Mitchell in Spalding

For me, Geraldton really does have a little bit of everything as far as culinary experiences go. We have a couple of topnotch restaurants offering pricey but out-of-this-world food. Then we have a whole host of cafes competing for the best coffee and cakes. Also, we have some great eateries out of town and a great selection of takeaways. What we also have, as I discovered with this review, is a little hidden gem in Spalding which specialises, in my opinion, in the type of food you would go to your nanna’s house to eat — some good old-fashioned wholesome tucker. Now first, Munchies on Mitchell does not look up to much from the outside. A few menu chalkboards and a rather bumpy carpark hide the lovely, welcoming atmosphere inside. But that being said, there was plenty of space to park and even a couple of tables inside to sit at, should you wish to enjoy your tucker in the cosy cafe. The cafe/shop/takeaway had a wide selection of food on offer, including brekkie wraps, rolls, baked treats and a lot of hot-box stuff like wing dings and pies. But we opted for a couple of made-from-scratch meals: chicken Kiev and pork ribs. Both meals came with vegies, mash and gravy. At $14.50 per portion, I wouldn’t say it was a cheap meal for the size, but the real test was going to be the taste. And to be honest, the taste and quality of the food were exactly what I expected — just like my nan used to make, and probably the very definition of comfort food. The meat was fresh and tender in both dishes, and the gravy really set off the pork ribs nicely. The vegies were well cooked and the mash perhaps needed a touch more seasoning, but hey, that’s what the salt shaker is for! There were plenty of other offerings to choose from and the lovely lady behind the counter also told us about the fresh stuff she was doing for lunch. Maybe next time we go back we will try the hot beef and gravy rolls. Would I recommend Munchies on Mitchell? 100 per cent yes. If you are looking for a nice, simple meal cooked from scratch like your nanna used to make, it can perhaps fill the nostalgia void.